Paint rollers, paintbrushes and other applicators are widely used as applicators as a means of applying paint to surfaces. However, cleaning the applicators after their use is an unpleasant task because of the difficulty in removing all the paint from in between the paint-carrying fibers. Failure to remove all the paint will lead to fibers that are too stiff to provide a smooth painted surface, and with individual fibers that are too fouled and poorly separated to provide a suitable paint-carrying capacity. On the other hand, a very thorough cleaning typically requires many washings, with additional cleaning of the hands and containers used, generating large amounts of contaminated wash solvents for disposal.
Numerous mechanical devices have been patented to make the job of cleanup easier, for example, see U.S. Pat. No. 6,450,185. Such devices are complicated and few people ever purchase, use and/or maintain them.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,798 discloses a brush aimed at applying a thick liquid cosmetic product to a surface. It uses a monofilament fiber made of plastic containing from 0.2 to 15% by weight of an agent for improving the slip characteristic of the fiber and for reducing its wettability by water and/or other solvents. These ingredients are incorporated within the body of the fiber, with the result that the disclosed brush requires the use of expensive, custom-made brush filaments.
In the production of synthetic fibers for use as textiles and carpets, it is known that the synthetic fibers may be treated with a polymeric fluoroprotectant composition to improve stain resistance, oil repellency and water repellency. No reference to the application of such fluoroprotectant compositions to fabric or filaments used for paint applicators was located, nor any teaching that such application will make it easier to remove paint from such applicators.
There is a need for paint applicators, such as paint roller covers and brushes, that are easier to clean. It would be even more advantageous if these applicators surprisingly had increased the paint-carrying capacity during use. The present invention provides such paint applicators.